Receiver recoil plate construction for shotguns and the like



Oct. 9, 1956 W. F. ROPER ET AL RECEIVER RECOIL- PLATE CONSTRUCTION FOR SHOTGUNS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 22, 1953 39 6/ a i i 1 Q J1 IU W 1/ BY a mwL M ATTORNEYS United States Patent RECEIVER RECOIL PLATE CONSTRUCTION FOR SHOTGUNS AND THE LIKE Application January 22, 1953, Serial No. 332,632

1 Claim. (Cl. 4275) This invention relates to a recoil plate construction for shotguns and like firearms and has for an object to provide novel means to receive the impact of recoil between the barrel and receiver and the stock of the gun.

In firearms of this type such as a magazine loaded shotgun the wooden stock of the gun is grooved in the top of the fore-end to support the inner end of the barrel and the receiver. Below the grooving and particularly in the rear portion thereof the fore-end is recessed to provide for loading and trigger mechanisms of the gun. A magazine slot in the recessed portion is also cut through the stock from the lower surface for access to the loading port of the receiver for insertion of a magazine clip or for feeding shells into a conventional magazine tube. Rearwardly of the slot a recess is provided for trigger mechanism with a slotted passage for the trigger lever cut in the lower surface of the stock. The assembly of the barrel and receiver and trigger mechanisms is commonly secured to the stock by a fore-end retaining screw, extending vertically from the bottom surface of the fore-end and forwardly of the magazine slot, the screw being threaded into a dovetail lug keyed to the receiver at the front end thereof.

As is well known when a gun of this type is fired, the barrel and receiver members recoil transmitting the shock thereof to the stock. In prior constructions the impact on the stock is received primarily through the retaining screw mounting which holds the assembly together. This is generally located in more or less closely spaced relation in front of the magazine slot in order to retain the assembly together in properly balanced relation. Thus, the impact is received at one of the weakest sections of the foreend where the wood is subject to fracture.

Efforts have been made to overcome this objectionable feature in securing the stock at this particular location and to completely eliminate the chance of splitting the fore-end Wood from the retaining screw passage to the magazine slot. One expedient has been to reinforce the mounting of the barrel lug into which the screw is threaded by providing a metal recoil strap extending longitudinally in the base of the fore-end groove forwardly of the receiver. The barrel lug is then seated in an opening at the rear of the strap which is secured forwardly of the receiver recess where the wood is of more substantial dimensions. The metal of the strap is thus designed to absorb the impact of recoil and lessen the forces applied against the fore-end screw bolt. This construction requires additional grooving and recesses in the wood of the fore-end and an additional metal strap element.

An object of the present invention is to transfer the shock of recoil from firing the gun to the rear section of the stock behind the weaker recessed portions of the wood and eliminate the transfer of impact to the fore-end section through the mounting screw. This and other specific objects and advantages of the new construction will appear from the following description thereof as shown by the attached drawings, in which,

2,765,563 Patented Oct. 9, 1956 Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a shotgun embodying the new construction;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the receiver and associated mechanism on an enlarged scale with the stock and foreend shown in section; and

Fig. 3 is a view on line 33 of Fig. 2.

For the purpose of illustration a shotgun of the bolt action type with a magazine clip feed is shown by the drawings with a barrel 1, receiver 2, and trigger housing 3, fitted with a stock having a fore-end 5 and butt stock 6. The grooving in the top surface of the fore-end is indicated at 7. The barrel and receiver may be of conventional construction, the latter being provided with a bolt 8 and handle 9 slidable therein. From the trigger housing 3 a trigger 10 extends through a trigger slot 11 cut through to the lower surface of the fore-end from the recess 12 enclosing the housing 3 below the rear portion of the receiver. A conventional trigger guard 13 is mounted on the lower surface and forwardly spaced therefrom is a vertically slotted passage 14 for insertion of a magazine clip 15 fitted in the loading port of the receiver as at 16 and held in the assembly by a retainer clip piece 17.

Forwardly adjacent the magazine slot is a vertical bolt hole 18 extending from bottom surface of the fore-end upwardly to receive in the enlarged top section 19 thereof the dovetail lug 20 keyed to the forward portion of the receiver. into the lug is threaded a retaining screw 21 the head of which is held against the front lip 22 of a magazine plate 23 which frames the opening of slot 14 and is fixed rearwardly with the trigger guard 13 to the stock.

The fore-end retaining screw as will be apparent to those skilled in the trade clamps the assembly of the barrel and receiver to the stock by drawing the receiver tightly in the grooving and holds the same in proper relation on the stock by its central mounting of the fore-end underneath the firing chamber. It will also be seen that this central position is closely spaced forwardly of the slot 14, and where the recoil from the barrel and receiver spends its force against the rear wall of the retaining screw hole, the wood in the area designated by the numeral 24 is subjected to repeated blows and possible breakage. In a conventional magazine tube loaded shotgun wherein a tube is positioned underneath the receiver and barrel forwardly of slot 14- with a lifter positioned in the slot, it will further be realized that the area at 14 is of still lesser vertical dimension and inherently more subject to rupture than the construction as shown by the drawings herein.

The possibility of breakage in the area at 14 is well recognized and as above mentioned efforts have been made to reinforce the mounting of the clamping means. As shown by Fig. 2 the present invention provides for the centering of the screw 21 in the hole with the lip 22 acting as a fixed washer plate. Thus with the screw spaced from the rear wall of the passage it will be afforded a limited movement under recoil of the barrel and receiver without contact with the wood of the stock.

The means for transmitting the impact of receiver recoil to the stock is clearly seen at the rear of the slotted portions thereof as in Figs. 2 and 3. The trigger housing 3 is integrally joined to the undersurface of the receiver as by welding the side walls thereto. As shown, a narrow housing may be formed by bending a single piece of metal to provide closely spaced side walls 25 with a bottom wall 26 cut for the depending trigger piece 10. At the end edges of the side walls 25 are provided oppositely turned extensions 27 (Fig. 3) lying at right angles to the axis of the receiver. Against the extensions and rigidly fixed thereto as by spot welding is a plate 28 substantially the height of the walls 25 and in planar contact with the rear wall 29 of the recess for the trigger mechanism. The recess is widened by the lateral extensions at 30 (Fig. 3). Thus the recess for the trigger housing assembly is in the form of a T-shaped recess against the rear of which the rigid transversely disposed plate 28 is seated. Centrally of the wall 29 is a small groove 31 cut for passage of the trigger piece it; in assembling and dismantling the stock.

It willbe seen that when the barrel and receiver recoil on firing the gun the fore-end screw 21 avoids contact with the wood in the area at 24. The impact against the stock except for the frictional contact in the grooving is entirely at the rearmost portion of the fore-end where the body of the wood is of substantial thickness and the chance of fracture is practically negligible. The plate 28 is of comparatively substantial nature and extends from the rear portion of the receiver by the rigid connection therewith.

While a preferred form of the invention is shown it will be realized that obvious modifications may be mad in the construction as shown.

What is claimed is:

In a firearm having an integrally formed butt stock and fore-end unit and an integrally formed receiver and trigger housing unit separable therefrom with said units being mounted together by an assembly screw in said foreend portion of the first-named unit; an improved construction for transmitting the recoil of the firearm to said butt stock comprising a pair of closely spaced walls integrally depending from said receiver unit and defining the said trigger housing with the rear end portions of said walls being turned outwardly at right angles; a vertically disposed recoil plate integrally joined across the rear faces of said turned end portions in transversely arranged relation; a depending lug extending from said receiver unit at the front end thereof with a vertically disposed socket opening in the lug; and a vertically disposed recessed portion in said stock and fore-end unit having a vertical rear wall defining the front end of said butt stock, said rear wall snugly abutting said recoil plate of the trigger housing in flat planar relation therewith and said recoil plate being freely slidable on said wall for assembly and removal of the receiver and trigger unit, said trigger'housing being rearwardly spaced from the front wall of said recessed portion to provide an access opening for releasable attachment of a magazine to the receiver unit; a vertical assembly screw opening spaced forwardly adjacent the front end wall of said recessed portion and encasing said depending lug in spaced relation to the walls of the opening; and an assembly screw threaded in said socket opening of the lug with the stem of said screw spaced from the walls of said opening and the screw head thereof seated in clamped relation at the underside of said fore-end, whereby said receiver and trigger unit may be entirely dismantled from said stock and foreend unit on removal of said assembly screw, and the recoil of said gun in firing the same will be directed to the stock portion of the latter unit through the recoil plate at the rear end of the trigger housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,373,622 Williams Apr. 10, 1945 2,455,644 Barnes Dec. 7, 1948 2,456,280 Humeston Dec. 14, 1948 2,585,195 Walker Feb. 12, 1952 2,6l0,426 Emerson Sept. 16, 1952 

